One or more embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate to data communications and, more particularly, to data communications with a rail vehicle.
Rail vehicles such as trains include propulsion systems that move the rail vehicles along a track. These propulsion systems may include engines, motors, and/or electric circuits that provide power to propel the rail vehicles along the track. The rail vehicles may include brakes that slow the movement of the rail vehicles.
Some known rail vehicles include software applications that automatically control a throttle of a rail vehicle (e.g., locomotive and/or train) based on a trip profile. For example, General Electric Company's Trip Optimizer™ energy management software application automatically controls a rail vehicle's throttle based on a trip profile in order to help keep the rail vehicle on schedule while reducing fuel use. The Trip Optimizer™ system creates a trip profile that can reduce braking of the rail vehicle by automatically learning the rail vehicle's characteristics and calculating an efficient way of running the rail vehicle by considering factors such as the length and weight of the rail vehicle, the grade of the route that the rail vehicle will be traversing, conditions of the track that the rail vehicle will be traveling along, weather conditions, and performance of the rail vehicle. During the trip, the propulsion subsystem is at least partially controlled by the Trip Optimizer™ system to propel the rail vehicle along its route according to the trip profile.
The trip profile may be communicated or downloaded to the rail vehicles when the rail vehicles are in a rail yard. In some known rail yards, the trip profile is downloaded using wireless transmission of data signals, such as radio frequency (RF) signals. The use of RF signals to communicate with the rail vehicles requires relatively costly equipment. Moreover, the wireless signals transmitted in rail yards located in urban or densely populated areas may be interfered with by other wireless signals transmitted in the area. The interference with the yard RF signals can cause interruption of communication with the rail vehicles and/or for data or information transmitted to the rail vehicles to not be delivered.
A need exists for an improved system and method for communicating with rail vehicles.